Automatic releasing stirrup



P. N. WINKLEY.

AUTOMATIC RELEASING STIRRUP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28'. 1921.

31 vunwto';

Patented June 6,1922;

,TeaZZao/aomit may concern: 1 H v Be it known that 1, PAUL N. XYI KL a j I citizen of the United States,fresid ing, at

Casper, in the county otl atrona and State of VVyoming, have invented certain, new and useful Improvements in Automatic-Releasing Stirrups, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates tov harness devices,

- particularly-to stirrup mountingsifor connecting stirrups ,WVlth saddles such as usedby stock menand in fa ct equestrians of-all kinds and has for its object the provision or a novel means for connecting a stirrup with a saddle strapwhereby to. permitlthe connection .to be automatically;released by pressure of the foot in the event that the rider should fall.

riderqfalls from his saddle or slips there- I .theouter ear 13 is formedfwith a somewhat I elongatedslot 16. I I r l 1 7 designates. a barwhich is a It is well knownhthat whenahorsehack from it generally occurs that the bootjor foot of the rider'catches in the stirrupand causes the rider to be dragged alongthe ground owing to his inability to extricate his -toot from the ordinary.stirrup; Itjfis with this fact in view that the present invention has been designed. J

An important object is the provision of [a stirrup mounting in which the construction is such that the entire stirrup disconnects from the stirrup strap, the p'artsbeing ordinarily held in operative engagement by a spring pressed lever which is released by pressure of the foot in the event that'the rider falls from the saddle.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efiicient in use, positive in action, durable in service and a general improvement in With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be'hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which l AU'roMa'rIe nnnnesntes'rrnnu t; Specification of- Letters Patent. 'Pafehtefl J1 i 6 1 H22, ,Application.iiledSeptember 2s 192 1.{se;-i 1ra'soa ea. i

is a detail sectional view through the locking pin andYasso ciated parts; and- 5; Figure 41; is an v edgeelevationofthe up per portion ofoneside of thestirrup. V 1

Referring more particularlyto; the dr aw- *lIlgS, the letter A designates, a stirrup strap of ordinarv constructionl formed with the usual loop B narilyiU-sh'apedand inthe present instance l -have shown the upper end pf one arm or slde'formed with a hinged knuckle ll, while h the other end'or the end of the otheriarm is bifurcatedto define ears12 and Formed on one side ofthissefcond-mentioned arm are downwardly: inclined spaced ears 7 14' which are apertureld as shown. It should be stated that theinnerear 12 attheupper end of the t rup arm is formed with ahole 15., while The numera formed at one endwith a knuckle 18 pivotally' connected withthe knuckles 11,; and which is, formed, onthe under side. of its other cen d with a-frecess 19 of a size and shapetoaccommodhtthe ear 12. lTheI free designed to're'gist'er with the 'hole 15 and the slot 16. The bar 17 is ordinarily disposed end of thebar 17isl f'ormed-with:a ho1e2O through the lOOp B of the strap Afor supporting the stirrup, and the free end of the bar is held normally inlockedengagement with the end of the second mentioned arm of the stirrup. I

Pivoted between the ears 14 on the side of the stirrup is a' curved'lever 21 which ex tends in an inclined direction as ShOW 11, be-

low the loop B of the stirrup strap and secured to the free end' of this lever is a spring 22 which engages against the loop B for the purpose of normally lever 21 in acertain position.- The other end of this lever 21 is pivotally connected, as shown at 23,with the upper end of the locking pin 24 which is normally engaged holding the.

through the slot 16 and through the holes 15 I and 20. g I

In order to attach the stirrup to the strap, the bar 17 being free, is inserted through the loop B, after which the other end of the bar is swung downwardly so that the recess 19 therein will engage over the ear 12. 1 The pin 24 is always within the slot 16 and in order tolockthe free end of the bar 17 the lever 21 is swung downwardly which will of course result in projecting the pin 24 through the holes 15 and 20. The parts will then be disposed as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and the stirrup will be firmly supported from the strap.

In the event that the rider should slip from his saddle, it is apparent that thevtoe ofhis foot will swing upwardly. anclwvill the strap. It is to be noted that the stirrup reserve the right to make such changes in will remain upon the foot or boot of the rider but may be very readily subsequently removed. 1

From the foregoing description and a studylof the drawings, it will'be apparent that I have'thus provided a simple and yet highly efiicient means for connecting a stirrup with a stirrup strap in such a way as to permit automatic release of the stirrup from the strap in the event that a rider should fall, the device being consequently a great safeguard againstserious injury, such as dragging along the ground in the event of such an accident.

While Ihave shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is of course to be readily understood that I the form, construction and arrangement of the parts as will not depart from the scope of the sub-joined claims. r I

Having thus described my invention, I claim: t

1. In combination with a stirrup strap formed with a loop, a U-shaped stirrup, a

bar hinged upon the upper end ofone arm r thereof andhaving its free end formed with a recess'and a holenleading there into, the upper end of "the other arm of thestirrup being bifurcated to define inner and outer ears formed with registering openings, said bar normally passing through said loop'and having its free end fitting within said hifurcation with said recess receiving the iii- Her ear, and with the hole in thebar registering with said openings, a lever pivoted upon said second mentioned arm of the stir rup and extending below said loop, a leaf v spring secured upon the free end of said lever and engaging against said loop,"and'a locking pin pivotally' connected with the other end of saidlever and slidably engaged through said hole and said registering open mgs.

' 2. In combination with a stirrup strap formed with a loop, a U-shaped stirrup, a bar pivoted upon the end of one arm of the stirrup and normally passing through said loop, a locking pin slidable through the other arm of the stirrup and normally engaging the free end of said bar whereby to prevent movementthereof, a trip lever pivoted upon the second mentioned arm of the stirrup and connected with said locking pin, v

and a spring carried by said trip lever and engaging said loop. I

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. r

PAUL N. IVINKLEY'. 

